Place, Identity, and Loss: Solastalgia as a Non-Economic Impact in Himalayan Communities

Climate change is increasingly experienced as a lived reality by communities living in the Himalayan region, one of the fastest-warming mountain systems globally. While existing research has extensively documented biophysical and economic impacts, comparatively less attention has been paid to the non-economic losses experienced by remote mountain communities, particularly those related to emotional well-being, cultural identity, and sense of place. This paper examines such non-economic losses through a case study of selected Himalayan villages in the Lahaul–Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh, India, with a specific focus on solastalgia which means the distress associated with environmental change in one’s home environment.

This research is a qualitative case study. The data was collected through in-depth interviews. The study explores how climatic changes, including altered snowfall patterns, glacial retreat, increased frequency of extreme weather events, and ecological degradation, are perceived and experienced by local residents. The findings reveal that environmental transformations have disrupted traditional livelihoods, seasonal mobility, and culturally embedded relationships with land and water systems. These changes have generated profound emotional responses, including grief, anxiety, and a sense of loss tied to the erosion of familiar landscapes and ways of life of all the generations differently.

The analysis demonstrates that solastalgia in Lahaul–Spiti is deeply intertwined with place attachment, cultural continuity, and intergenerational knowledge systems. Residents express distress not only over present environmental risks but also over anticipated loss of future possibilities for sustaining life, culture, and identity in the region because of possible climate change induced migration. Such experiences remain largely invisible within climate impact assessments that prioritize quantified economic losses. The paper argues that addressing climate change impacts in mountain regions requires approaches that move beyond economic metrics to incorporate emotional, cultural, and place-based dimensions of loss. Acknowledging these intangible losses is essential for developing more inclusive and context-sensitive climate responses for vulnerable Himalayan communities.

Keywords – Himalayas, Non-economic Loss & Damages, Solastalgia, Vulnerability.